Arc Dust
by YellingToast
Summary: Jaune Arc wanted to help people. Sure being a Police officer or paramedic allowed him to help people individually, but they were only short-term solutions. Being a Hunter? On the right track, but still too small-scale. Creating the largest Dust company Remnant had ever seen to fund the next technological revolution that would save Humanity? Well, what could go wrong?
1. Dust

Jaune gazed at the shop in front of him, questioning the life choices that led him here.

_Vale's Grand Dust Emporium- "If there's Dust in the name, we've got game."  
_

It was no doubt, the stupidest catchphrase he had ever seen, probably made by a lunatic. Or someone super desperate. Or a combination of the two. Jaune sighed before resigning himself to his fate. Not like he had anything else to do anyway.

Jaune opened the door with his left hand and was immediately assaulted by a shockwave, that _might _have resembled a voice if it were several decibels lower.

"WELCOME TO VALE'S GRAND DUST EMPORIUM- 'IF THERE'S DUST IN THE NAME, WE'VE GOT NAME!"

Jaune blinked and shook his head- trying to dislodge the ringing from his ears.

_I'm already crippled enough; I don't need to add going deaf to my resume.  
_

"Uh, isn't it 'We've got game' not, 'name'?"

The man, who towered over Jaune- a feat not many could claim- blinked and suddenly slammed his head down onto the counter.

"CURSES! I KNEW I WAS FORGETTING SOMETHING! OH, THE OLD MAN IS GONNA SKIN ME A NEW ONE!"

_Gods, does this person know how to speak normally?_

"Uh...I'm sorry?

"PLEASE, DON'T WORRY ABOUT MY IMPENDING DEMISE! WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY, FINE SIR?!"

_Oh, he doesn't know. Well, better order some hearing aids when I get back.  
_

"Please, the name is Jaune- none of that sir business. I'm here to buy a BW-220 Drill and a variety of standard safety equipment."

"HA, ALRIGHT THEN JAUNE! GIVE ME A MOMENT TO SORT OUT THE PAPERWORK AND GET THE EQUIPMENT! DO YOU HAVE YOUR DUST PROFICIENCY LICENCE?"

_I wonder if being shouted to deaf is covered in my insurance plan? _

"Of course. Here, take a look."

Jaune handed over a plastic card that contained his proof of certification along with several other general identification details to the giant of a man.

"HA, THANK YOU, JAUNE! I'll GO CHECK YOUR CREDENTIALS AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS IN ORDER! PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK AROUND THE SHOP AND IF ANYTHING CATCHES YOUR ATTENTION, JUST HOLLER!

_Drat, it's not. I'll have to switch providers before deafness sets in. _

"Thank you, sir. I'll be sure to let you know if anything catches my eye."

"HAHA, VERY GOOD! I'LL BE JUST A MOMENT WITH YOUR ORDER!"

_Oh, thank the Gods above! He's finally leav-_

"HEY, ED! WHAT IN DUST'S NAME ARE YOU SHOUTING FOR YOU BUFFON? WHY AREN'T YOU GETTING ME MY MEDICINE?"

_...Did I do something to the Gods in a previous life? If so, Gods, know that I repent any and all sins I have committed and will join a monastery in your divine name if you make the shouting stop. _

Ed's muffled yet still obnoxiously loud voice came from the back room.

"BE QUIET OLD MAN! I'M DEALING WITH A CUSTOMER! GIVE ME A MINUTE, AND I'LL GET YOUR PILLS!

Jaune shook his head in an attempt to snap his neck and when that failed, started looking around the small shop. He stopped by a small rack near the front counter which contained several books on Dust.

" 'Dust for Dummies and other Inadequate Individuals'...'What to do during a Dust mine collapse'... '101 Things to Know about Dust'...Ah, here it is. "Theories on Dust and their Effects on the World. This... sounds like something I would find at Beacon, not a small-time Dust shop."

Jaune grabbed his selection as he browsed the store once more. He noticed that the store seemed rather...overstocked. He sighed.

_That would explain his overenthusiasm. _

He was roused from his thoughts when a loud slamming noise could be heard from the front of the store.

"ALRIGHT, HERE IT IS! THE BW-220, A COMPLETELY AUTOMATED LASER DUST DRILL AND ALL THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT YOU MIGHT NEED! ANYTHING CATCH YOUR EYE OUT THERE?"

Jaune moved within a respectable speaking distance before responding.

"I found this rather interesting book which I would like to purchase. Other than that, I believe that will be all for now."

Jaune handed over what he owed to the larger man. He paused as he made to grab the drill.

"Mr. Ed, was it?"

Ed looked up from ledger he was currently writing in with a questioning gaze.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I take it you haven't gotten much business recently, have you?"

The larger man sighed before putting down his pen.

"That obvious huh?"

Jaune looked at the man who had dropped his ever-present boisterous persona. He looked...defeated. Jaune felt something rise within him. Not anger, but something else.

"Well, I would get ready. You'll be getting quite an increase in customers soon."

"Oh, what makes you say that?"

Jaune held out his left hand, and a silver ring adorned with a black gem started to glow. A second later, the drill, all of the safety equipment and the book were gone. Ed jumped back in shock. Jaune merely smiled at the man.

"Oh, just a feeling that someone's going to _really_ shake up the market soon."

With that, Jaune walked out the door.

* * *

Jaune was in a good mood. He was currently walking through a forest deep in the wilds outside of Vale. It was around midday, and all that could be heard were the sounds of the forest- birds chirping, trees swaying in the wind, small forest creatures scurrying about the treetops...

And, the obnoxiously loud footfalls that had been following him for half an hour.

_I can't wait until they reveal themselves and I can lecture them on how to _actually _sneak up on someone. _

Still, Jaune wasn't going to let that ruin his mood. Not one bit. So, Jaune stayed his course, only making a _small _detour towards some...entertainment.

Jaune cleared the undergrowth and emerged within a clearing, startling its occupant in the process. He smirked as he looked at the Beowulf.

He gazed indifferently at the beast as he settled into his usual fighting stance. His right hand gripped his weapon tightly as he waited for it to make its move.

The Beowulf lunged at Jaune.

Jaune dodged to the left as he brought his right hand up to strike the beast and he…

watched in amusement as his cane hit and he managed to knock it across the clearing. A low _Thud _sounded out as the beast hit a tree. It didn't get back up.

_Didn't even need my brace for that one. _

"That was awesome!" A high-pitched shout sounded out from the forest behind him.

_Ah, there's my stalker. My-my I can't believe I have a fan already. I haven't even started anything interesting yet. _

"So, my stalker finally decides to reveal themselves! Tell me, who taught you how to sneak? Because I'll have them fired for incompetence."

A loud "_Eeep!_" sounded out as he turned around and the first thing he noticed was a head full of black hair. Well, it wasn't completely black, it had red tips at the end that made it stand out in the well-lit forest. The second thing he noticed was the pure, silver eyes that stared back at them- a mixture of determination and fear flashing through them.

The girl, because of course it was, walked away from the tree she had been peaking around. She had her weapon at her side in an iron grip as her bright cloak flew in the breeze.

"So, what brings a fair maiden such as yourself to these dangerous Grimm-filled Wilds? Surely it can't just be for Lil'ol' me?" Jaune asked with mock innocence.

The cloaked girl snorted in amusement before staring down at her feet. She looked up briefly before back down again.

"I...I was out with my team scouting the area for Grimm. I-I was acting as the rear guard as we patrolled and I noticed you walking...alone. I-I got kinda curious and followed you…" The girl stammered out.

Jaune merely smiled. Not a malicious or scheming smile, mind. But, a very light-hearted and amused one.

"So, given that you're part of a team of I assume trainee Huntsman, you decided that the best course of action when seeing an unknown person on your mission was to go off alone? Did you even _inform _your team what you are doing?" Jaune asked.

The cloaked girl opened her mouth to speak, and then promptly clicked it shut.

"From your silence, I take it you didn't? That's a shame, considering you're patrolling in a _Grimm-infested forest_. If you suddenly disappear without warning, what do you think your team will believe happened to you?"

The girl's eyes widened in horror as the realization of what he was implying dawned on her.

"Yeah, they aren't going to be happy when you meet back up with them. So, how about this? I help you find your teammates, and you'll help escort me back to Vale. Even though I can fend for myself, it's always way more fun with other people!"

And like that, a switch seemed to have been flipped. Gone was the meek girl that was embarrassed like she had her hand caught in a cookie jar, in her place stood a leader- one that took care in evaluating a potential addition to her party. The girl looked at him appraisingly. Her eyes roamed over him quickly but stopped at his cane. He noticed her gaze and shrugged.

"Old injury. Not much I can do for it, I'm afraid. I have a brace that lets me use my legs at full power via Aura consumption, but it's quite a strain. Besides, you've seen how strong I am." Jaune said.

"Against a single Beowulf." The girl said, disbelief filling her voice.

Jaune merely smiled at her.

"Hey, I'm not forcing you to do this, but what's that old saying again? 'The more, the merrier?' or something."

There was a tense stillness within the clearing. The two locked eyes as they tried to find a fault in either's story. They remained for a moment before the girl sighed.

"I suppose escorting you out of these woods wouldn't take too long…"

Jaune smiled as he gestured with his free hand.

"Lead the way, O' Guardian Angel."

* * *

Jaune followed behind his seemingly-mysterious-but-actually-awkward, cloaked stalker as they laid waste to another Beowulf pack. Honestly, the beasts were _everywhere _in this part of the forest.

_Even with my brace, going against so many Grimm in a row…_

Jaune cringed at the thought.

_No, not going there. Focus. This is the perfect opportunity to make some early connections. _

Jaune steeled himself as he moved his cane back to its normal walking position. He looked at the girl as she folded her weapon away. They walked in silence for a moment before Jaune decided to break the ice.

"So...I take it you're attending Beacon?"

The girl snorted.

"Nah, I'm just a little girl that _really _likes running through Grimm-infested woods ."

Jaune pouted.

"Well, sorry if I'm just trying to break the ice here. You don't have to go and attack me like that!" Jaune said with mock sadness.

This time, the girl outright laughed. Though, it was cut short when he responded.

"Although, now that I think about it, I am _technically _a civilian since I never went to a Hunter school nor do I have a license. Hmm, I wonder if I should fix that?"

The girl just looked at him curiously.

"So, you never went to Hunter school, yet you fight Grimm easily with an injury many would consider retiring from. If you aren't a Hunter, what are you?"

Jaune opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a loud shout.

"LEADER! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Ah, I take it that's your team?" Jaune said.

The girl merely rolled her eyes before responding.

"GUYS! OVER HERE!"

Jaune could hear the underbrush around them being trampled on and disturbed as angry shouts responded.

Soon, three figures entered their little section of the woods. A blond, a dark-haired woman, and a sword-user looked towards Jaune for a moment before redirecting their gazes at an incredibly sheepish-looking girl.

"What do you think you were doing? Running off by yourself like that!"

"We're a team, Rose!"

"Look, don't run off like that next time. We're a team for a reason."

Three separate voices all shouted at once, yet each one carrying the same message.

The girl had the decency to look ashamed as she tried to meet their gazes.

"Look, guys, I'm so sorry. I promise this won't happen again. I just saw…"

She stopped and looked towards him, embarrassment coloring her face.

"I can't believe I didn't do this earlier, but, uh…" She trailed off before sighing.

"What's your name?"

Jaune blinked and then laughed.

"My name is Jaune, Jaune Arc. And what is yours, fair maiden?"

She rolled her eyes at his antics before responding.

"My name is…

Summer, Summer Rose. And this here is my team- Team STRQ."

* * *

Jaune walked through the cold, dreary cave. It was utterly silent, save for his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. He kept walking and noticed a faint light source directly ahead. He steadily approached the light before realizing it wasn't just a light. It was another cave.

He stepped into the cave and tried to calm his sudden vertigo. The tunnel he had been walking in opened up into a...well it was best described as a massive hole- headed straight down to the center of Remnant. The hole was more a chasm. It was around half the size of Beacon in diameter. The sides of the pit were covered in every Dust crystal imaginable. Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple, White, Orange, Cyan. A kaleidoscope of the most potent and expensive resource on the planet.

That wasn't the goal though. They were _useful_, sure. But, the goal?

Not by a longshot.

Jaune stood by the edge of the abyss…

...and jumped.

* * *

Thirty seconds…

One minute…

Five minutes…

Jaune put away his golden pocket watch as it reached five minutes after he jumped.

He loved the sensation that falling gave him. The adrenaline rush, the wind blowing at his face and through his hair- it was incredible.

Too bad most falls on Remnant were relatively short; or metaphorical.

Jaune snorted before activating his ring, producing a purple Dust crystal in the process. He looked at it for a moment.

Gravity Dust; known throughout Remnant as one of the most expensive and rare Dust types.

_One of them _being the key phrase.

Jaune tossed the crystal up into the air as hard as he could before clicking the heels of his boots together. A low hum sounded out from his footwear as they glowed a familiar purple hue.

He felt his descent slow as his boots were pulled towards the crystal. It wouldn't be enough on its own. The mass of the crystal was too small to slow the man at his current airspeed completely.

That's what the gravity Dust lining the cavern walls was for.

As Jaune reached the crystals, he activated the device attached to them. He watched as the gravity Dust began glowing and felt his momentum slow. After a moment, he had completely stopped and hung suspended in mid-air. Jaune clicked his heels together and the Dust deactivated.

Once he landed, he gazed at the treasure-trove that awaited him. There, at the bottom of the pit, was the largest single Dust crystal Jaune had ever seen.

It was golden. Not yellow, but _gold. _Like the rare metal that had been used as currency in the past. It was entrancing to look at. The crystal took up most of the space within the pit, except for the black crystals covering the ground and leading up the cavern walls.

Jaune sighed after a moment and took the drill out of his ring.

"Well, this Time Dust isn't gonna mine itself."

Thus, Jaune started on a journey that would see the rise of the most powerful company on Remnant-

Arc Dust.

* * *

**Welcome to my new story, Arc Dust! I've spent quite a bit planning out this one, hopefully, everyone likes it! **

**Sorry about the lack of Phoenix this week, I wasn't feeling good and couldn't concentrate. (I think whatever I had last week came back to spite me). Luckily I had most of this chapter done and all I needed to do was edit it, so there's something. **

**I've updated my profile and set a release schedule of sorts for my fics. I might not adhere to it completely, but it's something to keep me motivated. **

**Also for those wondering, that little scene with the gravity dust was inspired by Maria's weapons in V6. God, those things are so awesome. **

**Anyways, that's all for today. **

**Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!**

**See ya next time!**


	2. Rival

Jasmine looked out of her office's window and sighed.

_Another slow day._

She turned away from the window and walked back towards her desk. She sat down and glanced at the Holoscreen that was projecting their sales since last year. It wasn't pretty.

_Damn Dust shortages._

Jasmine shut down the screen with a sigh and looked towards the clock slowly ticking away on her plain wall.

_Well, its almost closing time. Better make sure everything's going smoothly. _

As she moved towards the door, the intercom on her desk buzzed to life.

"Miss Dande? A customer wishes to speak to you about...some sort of business deal. He refuses to give the specifics unless it's you. My apologies Ma'am."

Jasmine felt her eye twitch in exasperation.

_Great. Another one of _those _people. _

She had seen their type all too many times in her day. People would weave fantasy tales of suddenly finding a massive amount of Dust and wished to mine it- yet, they don't have the resources to do so. So, they would seek out "investors" to help them get started. In exchange, the "investors" were promised a ludicrous amount back- that is, if the mine ever took off.

Most of the time, they didn't.

"Give me a minute, Ras. I'll be there shortly."

"Yes, Ma'am."

It took a few minutes of briskly walking down random corridors before Jasmine ended up in the lobby. She knew it was petty revenge to make the "customer" wait, but she felt like being petty. It hadn't been a good week.

She found Ras, one of her best Sales Associates, talking to him. Jasmine took one look at the man and wasn't impressed.

Dressed in a long blue coat that covered a white undershirt and accentuated by a brown strap that crossed his chest diagonally- all in all, he looked like a Hunter, not a businessman. Jasmine took in the rest of his features and drew the same conclusion.

Scraggily blond hair, shaggy brown pants, and a pitch black cane. The cane was the most important detail there. With his outfit screaming 'Hunter!' and the cane highlighting the slight limp with his right leg, she came to this conclusion; the man was a retired Hunter down on his luck due to his leg injury and wished to make a quick buck through her.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes.

_Not if I have anything to say about that. _

She approached the man with a professional smile on her face and stuck out her hand to greet him.

"Hello, my name is Jasmine Dande, the Regional Director to the Vale branch of Sanus Dust Exchange. How may I assist you, today?"

The man looked over from Ras and smiled brightly at her. The smiled dimmed slightly when he saw her hand extended. Jasmine feigned ignorance of the issue.

_How flustered will he be I wonder?_

The man merely tossed the cane he was holding in his right hand to his left and moved forward to accept the greeting.

"Hello Miss Dande, my name is Jaune Arc. I trust Miss Ras here has informed you I wish to strike a deal with your company?"

_Interesting. Ignoring my little stunt to project strength during "negotiations." Not bad for a conman.  
_

"Yes, I'm aware. Would you mind giving me a summary of the deal before we go further?"

The man, or "Jaune" as he called himself, pulled his hand back and moved the cane back to his right.

_Hmm, well it seems that his injury is real and not just something to gain sympathy points. _

"As you wish. I have recently discovered a large number of unrefined Dust crystals and wish to use your company as my primary seller. Would you be willing?"

_And there it is. It still amazes me people fall for this crap. This will be just the tip of the iceberg. When we start the negotiations, he'll reveal he hasn't begun mining due to the expensive equipment and will need a "downpayment" to start.  
_

Jasmine forced her smile to go wider.

"Of course, sir. Please, follow me to my office, and we'll hash out the details there. Oh, and Ras, please help Lily with closing up. I'll be down shortly to finish things up."

Ras bowed her head slightly.

"Of course, Ma'am. How long until I should expect you?"

Jasmine's grin turned genuine, if malicious.

"Oh, a deal like this won't take longer than ten minutes."

* * *

Jasmine looked over at the man seated in front of her and was puzzled by what she saw.

The man claiming himself to be "Jaune" aired unmistakable confidence in everything he did. From small-talk to describing his story, the man seemed utterly confident in what he was saying was the truth.

If it weren't for the _absolutely _ridiculous story he had woven, she might have believed it.

_I mean, seriously? He just 'happened' to stumble into what might be the largest deposit of Dust the kingdom of Vale had ever seen- without either those council dogs or Schnee knowing about it? Ridiculous. _

"That's...quite a tale Mr. Arc. If I may be so bold, how exactly do you plan to extract the Dust from the mine given your current resources? I hardly believe you'd do it all yourself."

_This is it. He can't keep up this charade any longer. Everyone knows that without the right equipment and planning, mining Dust would be tantamount to suicide. Even the scam artists know this. _

"Actually, that's exactly what I plan on doing."

_Wait. What?  
_

"I...see. Mr. Arc, do you understand how dangerous it is to mine Dust without the proper equipment? Even the great Nicholas Schnee suffered due to the lack of equipment. Even if it was mostly ignorance that led to it."

"Oh, I am _quite_ aware of the dangers of Dust, Miss Dande."

The man moved his leg ever so slightly she wouldn't have noticed if she wasn't paying close attention to everything he did.

His _injured _leg.

_Oh…_

"My apologies Mr. Arc, I had no idea-"

He put his hand up to interrupt the lengthy apology she had planned.

"It's quite alright, Miss Dande. You had no way of knowing and you were just looking out for my safety. I appreciate the gesture."

_Wow, he's good. It's been a long time since someone of this level tried to scam me. Is he ex-mafia? He's too good to be a street conman. _

"Even so, it must be a sensitive topic. For that, I apologize."

"Please, don't mention it. Why don't we return to the topic at hand?"

_Please. We've got five minutes, and I doubt you'll be able to hold off your true intentions until the end.  
_

"Alright. So, you plan on mining the dust by yourself, at least for the foreseeable future. Given how expensive the equipment can be for individuals, do you have a plan to acquire the equipment?"

_Here it comes- the pitch. I'm betting he'll focus on potential profits since I've been acting 'The Profesional' this whole time, though he may sprinkle in some sympathy with his injury. Either way, there's nothing he can say to make me agree-_

"Actually, I already have all the equipment I'll need for the moment. I wanted to discuss how much Dust you were willing to buy and at what price. I appreciate your concerns, however."

Jasmine's mind screeched to a halt as his words registered in her head. Her usually articulate and scheming thoughts fell apart, and as she realized the gravity of the situation, she could say only one thing-

"Huh?"

* * *

Jaune looked towards Jasmine with amusement. The poor girl thought he was trying to scam her with some ridiculous scheme.

_However, now that I think about it, my story does seem far-fetched. _

_Oh well. _

She sat behind her desk, looking somewhat shocked and distressed.

_Better fix that. _

"Miss Dande, I'm sure you understand what I'm asking, correct?"

The question seemed to snap her back to reality as she took a deep breath before responding.

"O-Of course, Mr. Arc. You wish to use our company as a buyer for your raw Dust extracted from your mine. If I may ask, how much Dust do you have within the mine?"

_Hmm, not bad. Even when she realizes she screwed up, she's still trying to fish for information to make the best deal. _

Jaune smiled.

_I want her. _

"Now, now, Miss Dande. I'm afraid I can't reveal the exact amount-"

_Because I haven't had to the time to catalog everything. _

"-but, it's safe to say that it is more than you have the authorization to buy."

Jasmine visibly gulped at that.

Jaune fiddled with his cane for a moment before she responded.

"Mr. Arc, I don't understand something. A mine with that much Dust is worth a fortune through just the property rights. Why don't you just contact either the Council or the SDC? I'm sure either will give you a fair price and save you the hassle they will most certainly throw your way."

_Ah, why thank you, Jasmine. Just the question I was looking for._

"Before I answer that, may I call you Jasmine? Last names are too formal for when we will most likely be working together soon."

She nodded her head and leaned back in her chair.

"Good, now Jasmine, let me ask you a question. What are the first words that come to mind when you think of the SDC?"

Jasmine looked at him strangely before responding.

"Quality, Affordability, Trust."

Jaune nodded his head.

"Yes, Yes, those are all true. For how long, however?"

"What?"

Jaune sat up from his chair and moved towards the window near Jasmine.

"Times are changing, Jasmine. The Faunus won their rights, Dust prices are sky-high, and the SDC is about to receive a new CEO."

He paused for a second to glance at his pocket watch.

"That last one is the issue."

He turned to face Jasmine and looked straight into her eyes.

"Jacques Gelé will destroy the Schnee name to make himself as rich as possible."

Jasmine looked at him, disbelief coloring her features.

"Don't look at me like that. I have information from a close friend that says he's not who he tells the world. That he is actually a cold, manipulative, abusive bastard who just wants power- it's just a coincidence that the Schnee name symbolizes what he needs."

_Weiss..._

"I don't want to leave the world in his hands- that's why I refuse to sell. I will build my own company to rival his; something he will never see coming nor have any way to counter. I will make sure he doesn't get his way, no matter what."

Jaune turned to face the window that showed the skyline of Beacon Academy.

"I won't let any of them get their way. Not this time."

* * *

Jacques Gelé looked over his empire with disgust. Well, soon to be empire, anyway.

_Not too long, now. I have to wait for the old fool to cave in and sign the stupid papers. Why does he insist on waiting until after the wedding?  
_

A beeping noise sounded from the dresser behind him. He moved across the guest room and picked up his scroll. He nearly blanched at the message his fiance had left for him.

_Does she not understand what this marriage is? _

He responded with as much tact as he could be bothered to give and then silenced his scroll.

Jacques moved back towards the window overlooking the city of Atlas. It was rather beautiful to look at -in an abstract way of course- as well as a technological marvel. Multiple massive Dust crystals powered the city's Anti-Gravity engines that held the town afloat, while all of the electricity, heating, and plumbing were powered by Dust as well — all Schnee Dust Company products of course.

Something that would soon be his.

He had plans for this world, and no one was going to stop him- not when he held all the pieces. Not when he had sacrificed so much to get there. Especially now that he had the whole Schnee family in his grasp, the world was his oyster, and everyone else was trying to spoil it for him.

_Not on my watch. First, I'll deal with the internal threats- rival executives, hostile board members, Nicholas himself. It will take a while, but soon no one will complain as long as I keep the lien coming. Next, I'll stamp out those start-ups that took advantage of the vacuum my rise will certainly leave and then, start to rebuild this company to its former glory. _

Jacques smiled as he gripped the photo within his suit jacket.

"I won't let anyone stop me. Not this time."

* * *

**Hello everyone, welcome to Ch.2 for Arc Dust! **

**Sorry, this chapter is rather short, I think I hurt my back the other day at work and it's kind of stunted my concentration. Regardless, I promise that future chapters will be longer than this. I try to reach 3k words on most of my chapters (or somewhere close to that anyway). **

**Anyway, hope everyone likes how I set up this chapter. It's my first time trying a perspective from someone not related to the main cast in any way and hopefully, it's not too bad. (She is an O.C. just FYI)**

**Now, Jacques. I have very big plans for his character and the inevitable conflict he and Jaune will be in. Not very many fics focus on his perspective or backstory so I plan on having some fun with that. **

**Anyways, that's enough from me. **

**Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!**

**See ya next time!**


	3. Headmaster

Jaune glanced at his scroll and smiled with content.

_Man, I forgot how awesome it was to be rich. _

He chuckled and moved up one place in line.

_This much money with just one month of mining...I can see why the Schnees are so obsessed with the stuff. _

He looked up from his scroll to see another patron walk past him out the door.

_Though, I've still got a long way to go until I can compete with their wealth. _

His cane clicked conspicuously on the white tile as he moved up one place.

_My current wealth is pocket change compared to their coffers, even with their recent decline._

Jaune rolled his sore wrists as he moved up one.

_They have quite the stockpile after a twenty-year head start. _

Jaune sighed with relief as he made it to the front of the line.

"Welcome to Dustbucks, what can I get for you today?"

_But, what's all the wealth in the world when compared to a good cup of coffee?_

* * *

Jaune, large coffee in one hand and cane in the other, strode out of the local coffee chain with a spring in his step, or as much as his leg allowed.

He moved down the streets of Vale, marveling in how much could change within a decade or two.

_No holographic light posts- seems the council wants to wait and see how this 'new-age' technology holds up under more scrutiny before renovating the city. _

Jaune stopped at a crosswalk while gazing at a re-election poster for the Council.

_Or the council is just being lazy and bureaucratic as usual. Now, that I think about it, that's probably what's happening. _

Jaune sighed in annoyance. From his experience, a majority of the Council's thought process when it came to, well, _anything_ really was whether or not it would help their re-election or boost their ratings.

_The thought of trying to convince those idiots up in Atlas the importance of my work to the stability of the Kingdom will never cease to anger me. _

Jaune tried to banish those thoughts from his mind as he rounded the corner to his destination.

A large modern-styled building separated from its peers stood in front of him. It was nothing special- in regards to the architecture at least. No, what made it stand out was the sign hanging in front of the doorway that led to the office.

"Arc Dust- Offices and Logistics"

_Well, at least I still have some time to figure out a slogan that's not going to cause me a headache every time I read it. Thank you Grand Dust Emporium for that particular lesson. Hmm, I should speak to Jasmine and see if we can do anything about their situation.  
_

_Speaking of…_

Jaune pulled out his scroll as he walked into the deserted lobby. He flipped through his sparse contacts list- something that reminded him of when he was just a gangly teenager with the dream of being a Hunter.

_How time flies. _

He pulled up one particular contact as he walked into his first-floor office- he didn't have enough capital to buy the entire building- and hit the 'Audio Only' call option.

_Hopefully, she isn't too busy right now. I'd hate to call her while she's in the middle of an important-_

The call connected and a familiar voice rang out.

"_Mr. Arc?" _

"Ah, thank you for answering Jasmine. I know you're busy at the exchange; I just wanted to go over a few things."

"_Ha. Ha. Sarcasm is unbecoming of you, sir. So is poaching, if I may add."_

Jaune smirked at her jab.

"Now, now Jasmine. I told you before to consider this a...side job to supplement your income."

"_Sure it is," _Jasmine drawled out._ "A side job with a huge conflict of interest." _

"Pssh, I don't think anyone really cares if there is a conflict of interest as long as the Kingdoms get their Dust."

"_Point." _

They shared a chuckle for a moment before Jaune spoke again.

"Well, that's enough laughs for now. Let's get down to business."

That caused Jasmine to sober up immediately.

"_Of course, sir." _

Jaune hummed into the speaker as he tapped a button on his desk that pulled up his holoscreen. He pressed a few keys, and several documents sprang up on the holographic display.

"First, how's our hiring process going? I have the documents for a few of the candidates, but it's not nearly enough for what we need."

Jasmine sighed over the scroll.

"_My apologies, sir. The hiring process is...rather tedious right now. No one wants to work for a Dust company in the current economy- especially a relatively unknown one such as ourselves. No offense, sir." _

"None taken, Jasmine. I understand it's rather difficult for now, but I promise once we start shipping out, people will be lining up out the door."

"_If you say so, sir." _

Jaune hummed as he looked at a few documents closely.

_Nothing that stands out so far. Mostly seems to be people new to the labor force or people desperate for any kind of work.  
_

_Wait...people…_

Jaune pulled up all of the documents and what he saw confirmed his suspicions.

"Jasmine, have you not included any Faunus candidates for these positions? Or _any _positions for that matter?"

Jaune could only hear the static from the scroll for a moment before Jasmine spoke up.

"_My apologies, sir. I thought that-" _

"-I didn't want any Faunus since the revolution just ended and they might not take too kindly to working under someone such as myself?"

"_Yes, sir." _

Jaune sighed and closed all the documents on his screen.

"Jasmine, we can't be biased like that if we're planning on making this company any better than the SDC. We _need _to have Faunus workers at _all _levels of the company- we need to show everyone that we don't care as long as the job gets done. I know you know this, so what's the issue?"

_"I...I'm sorry, sir. I let my prejudices get in the way of your business. If you feel the need to let me-"  
_

"Stop that right now. You made a mistake, one mistake- which you apologized for it. This isn't like you, Jasmine. So tell me, what's the issue?" Jaune said.

The static was back in full force as the clock-hand on the wall continued ticking on.

"_My father...he fought in the Revolution...and didn't come home. I'm sorry, Mr. Arc for letting my personal-" _

"I told you to stop with that nonsense. Now, let me apologize for bringing up bad memories. I know it doesn't mean much, but… I'm sorry. Let's drop this conversation for now and talk about the plans for the defense."

Jaune opened a batch of new documents as he pretended to not hear the sniff on the other end of the line.

"_Thank you, sir." _

"Anytime, Jasmine. Now, any change with the Atlas military?"

_"No, sir. Captain Ironwood is trying to push our request through to the General, but our chances aren't looking too good."  
_

"Hmm, that's fine- Atlas was a stretch anyway. Tell the good Captain to take his time and not to rush. Now, how about homegrown solutions?"

"_Give me a moment, sir. I'm sending some files that might interest you." _

Jaune hit a key and pulled up a second screen where he started sorting through some of their finances. A 'Ding' noise sounded from the holoscreen, and he grinned once he opened them.

"Oh, I _like _this. Jasmine, are you trying to butter up your boss for a nice promotion?"

Jaune could practically _see _her smirk from the other end of the scroll.

"_No idea what you mean by that, sir. This is just a side job for me, remember?"_

Jaune snorted and saved the documents. He'd have to go through them later more thoroughly, but if they were saying what he thought they were…

_Oh, he's gonna be _so _pissed. _

_I can't wait. _

"Alright, moving on, how's progress with setting up distribution rights with the local dust sellers and permission from the council?"

Jasmine was silent for a moment before she responded.

_"The local sellers are generally cooperative, but a few of the major ones want to see some proof before they commit to any deals."  
_

Jaune hummed.

"That's not too bad. We can start with the smaller ones and once they see how we do business, then-"

"_I'm sorry, Jaune. I'm not sure we'll be able to do that." _

Jaune paused his typing for a moment and devoted his full attention to the scroll in his left hand.

"What?"

Jasmine sighed from the other end.

"_The Council is being...difficult, sir." _

"How difficult?"

Jasmine paused.

_Oh, Dust. _

"_They're refusing to even meet with me, sir." _

"Did they give a reason?"

Jasmine paused again.

_"They said, and I quote, 'Due to the recent damage Vale has sustained during the Faunus Rights Revolution, the Council has decided to devote its full attention to rebuilding both the city itself and the hearts and minds of the populace. Therefore, the Council will be suspending all meetings with private citizens or entities not actively contributing to the repair of the City effective immediately.'"_

Jaune stood up.

* * *

Jasmine set down her scroll as a _roar _of anger came through the other end, thankfully not directed at her. She blushed a little at some of the language he was using.

_If I didn't know any better, I would think he was a Specialist with a mouth like that._

* * *

Jaune sat back down in his chair.

"You still with me Jasmine?"

"_Yes, sir."_

"Good. Any ideas?"

Jasmine paused, yet again.

_I'm not going to like this, aren't I?  
_

"_How good are you at bullshitting, sir?"_

Jaune blinked.

"Um, I got you on my side, didn't I?"

Jasmine didn't respond for a moment.

"_I'm not going to comment on that. Regardless, I hear Beacon is beautiful this time of year."_

Jaune blinked and stood up.

* * *

Jasmine ignored the frustrated screams about 'Shitty wizards,' 'training hell' and 'farm boys.'

She blinked at that last comment.

_I'm going to have to talk to him about that last one, that kind of scandal will ruin us.  
_

* * *

Jaune sat back down.

"Jasmine?"

"_Yes, sir?"_

"Schedule an appointment with him as soon as possible, please. In the meantime, I'm going to vent my frustration on some Grimm. Oh, and find a therapist would you? I'll need one after this meeting."

"_Yes, sir." _

Jaune sighed as he hung up the connection.

_I really didn't want to talk to him at such an early stage. _

He leaned back into his chair as he looked at the ceiling fan spinning slowly above him.

_Well, it's not all that bad, I guess. I'll have a foot in the door for Hunter-level fighters in case Jasmine's plan doesn't pan out. Plus, having the ear of the most powerful man in the world isn't too shabby. _

Jaune looked to his left at the rose wilting underneath the sunlight.

_I wonder how she's doing now?_

* * *

Summer yawned as she rose to a sitting position on her bunk bed. She blinked as she eyed her teammates sleeping forms and let a mischievous smirk appear.

She jumped onto the floor as quietly as she could before tip-toeing over to her dresser and pulled out a particular object that would cause her team much ire.

She moved towards the center of the room before sucking in a deep breath and blowing into the silver object within her hands.

A loud whine emitted from the whistle as her team sprang into action. Raven grabbed a katana hidden under her pillow, Qrow jumped up and promptly banged his head against the bottom of the bunk he was resting in, and Tai rolled off the bottom bed and hit the ground ready to start punching.

"GOOD MORNING TEAM STRQ!"

There was silence for a moment before the room _erupted _in noise.

"Summer what the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Rose, give me a reason to not stick this sword straight up your-"

"Owww, I can't tell if this headache is from the bunk, my hangover, or that gods-damned whistle!"

The rest of the team turned to stare at Qrow, who was trying to nurse the bump on his head rather unsuccessfully.

"Probably all three, idiot," STR deadpanned.

Qrow winced and shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh well. By the by, anyone else not remember the last 12 hours or is it just me?"

They chose to promptly ignore him before Raven and Tai turned to their leader, devilish smirks on their faces.

"Oh, but that reminds me. Raven dearest, mind grabbing the feather while I hold down our _dear _leader. It looks like she needs a reminder on how waking the rest of us up on a weekend _before the crack of dawn is a bad idea,_" Taiyang said with a slight edge to his voice.

Summer paled as they mentioned the feather.

_I have severely miscalculated. _

"Oh, as much as I would _love _to use the feather, I have a better idea Tai," Raven's smirk didn't give Summer a good feeling. "Didn't Professor Port say he caught some more of his _pets, _yesterday?"

Summer's complexion turned to match her cloak.

_Gods-Dammit_

* * *

Summer sprinted down the corridors of Beacon, her teammates by her side as they tried to stay ahead of the absolute _monster _chasing after them.

"W-Why the _HELL _does Port have that _thing _in one of the cages?!" Raven roared in fury as she tried to keep pace with the rest of the team, throwing fire Dust down the corridor to try and keep the creature off their heels.

"I don't know! Usually, he keeps a boartusk or two, _not a fucking Beringel!_ Taiyang yelled to her right as he cocked his gauntlets and fired an explosive shell straight at the gorilla.

"AHHGGGG! How does something like this even happen?! What are the chances of us finding the _one_ cage with a stupidly overpowered Grimm? Gods, it's almost as if we ran out...of...luck..." Summer said as she slowly turned to face Qrow, who was busy shooting down the corridor.

The rest of the team stopped for a moment to stare at Qrow, who started whistling innocently.

"Bird-Brain."

"Shitty-Swordsman."

"Dusty Crow."

"Will you three keep running damn it!" Qrow shouted as the roar of the creature chasing them echoed down the hallway.

Summer laughed and started running again, only to head a loud crash come from behind them. She turned and attempted to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. She didn't succeed.

Stood in the middle of the hallway was their newly appointed headmaster, cane in one hand and a coffee mug in the other- which he daintily took a sip of as the black smoke that signaled dead Grimm vanished around him.

_All by himself…_

"So strong," Raven whispered in both awe and fear.

The man turned to face them, an amused expression on his face as he approached.

_This...This is a _true _Huntsman. _

"As much as I love to see my students practicing their stamina, pray tell why you thought it would be a good idea to do so _in _the school itself?" The headmaster said.

There was a pause before Summer spoke.

"It wasn't on purpose, sir."

The man raised an eyebrow.

"Err, not _entirely _on purpose, sir. We wanted to get some practice in fighting Grimm and found out about Professor Port's captures. We thought there would be only a single boartusk and not...whatever that was.

The headmaster's eyebrow remained raised as he took a sip from his mug.

"So, prank, dare, or revenge?"

"Oh, revenge since I woke up every-"

Summer choked on her words as she realized what she just said. The chorus of groans behind her didn't help matters.

The headmaster's expression remained amused as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Hmm, not bad. Personally, I would have gone with laxatives in the food, or perhaps a red sock in the laundry if I was feeling vindicated enough." He said.

Summer felt her brain short circuit as she tries to process what her idealized Hunter said, but all that came out was-

"Huh?"

"Nice one, Headmaster. I think you just broke her." Qrow drawled out.

"Yeah, she has a hero-complex of sorts- whenever she sees strong Hunters, she gets all, well, loopy," Taiyang said.

"She's just an idiot," Raven deadpanned.

They all laughed, and even the headmaster chuckled as Summer restarted her brain. Their laughter was stopped, however, by what the headmaster said next.

"Ha, how amusing. Now that you've had your fun, why don't you go ahead and see yourselves to my office so we can discuss your punishment."

They all froze momentarily before sighing in unison,

"Yes, Headmaster Ozpin."

* * *

**Hello Everyone! Welcome back to Arc Dust. First off, I just want to thank everyone for all the support you have given to this story. It's rather unbelievable that this story has nearly caught up to my first story in regards to favorites and follows. (The story I posted in _December) _**

**Arc of the Phoenix- 189 Favorites, 285 Followers (8 Chapters)**

**Arc Dust- 174 Favorites, 258 Followers (Only 3 freakin' chapters!) **

**It's incredible and I'm generally floored by all the support for this story. **

**Speaking of Arc of the Phoenix, my apologies for not posting again this week. I have the next chapter planned out in my head, but actually getting it on the page to convey the proper emotion is rather difficult. I'm slowly working on it and I'll try to have it next week, but no promises. **

**Moving on- hopefully, people liked more Summer perspective this chapter. I'm enjoying writing her and plan for her to play a much larger role later on. Same thing with Jasmine- it's fun seeing the cracks in her little "professional" facade she has going on and how Jaune messes with her. Speaking of, hope you guys don't mind the time-skip. There will be quite a few of those since Jaune is so far back and he's doing rather...mundane work at this point. It will become more exciting once he actually has his company up and running. **

**Anyways, that's enough from me today. **

**Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!**

**See ya next time!**


	4. Meetings

**Hey everyone quick little update here. I forgot to add this warning when I first posted, so my apologies for that. The second half of this chapter contains a stalker situation and I suggest you don't read it or at least skim it if that makes you uncomfortable. Nothing happens in this scene (T rating still) but there is some heavier language and I know just the situation itself can make people uncomfortable. My apologies again -Toast**

* * *

The ticking of gears above his head comforted Ozpin as he studied the living contradiction sitting before him.

_He gives off the vibe of a Hunter, yet he comes proposing a business deal. He's very well-mannered and polite, yet cautious and guarded in my prescience. He chooses a cane as his weapon, yet he has the muscle mass of a swordsman. And then his name..._

Ozpin quirked his lips upwards slightly.

_How very interesting. _

"So, you wish for me to use my power within the Council to grant your company a Dust distribution permit," Ozpin said, keeping his tone neutral.

It wasn't a question.

"If you would be so kind." The man replied.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow at the man.

"And, pray tell, why I should help you with this endeavor?"

The man quietly sighed before taking a sip of the coffee Ozpin had provided.

"What a magnificent blend. I've had coffee from all four corners of Remnant, and I dare say I've never had such a good cup of coffee before. Personal blend?"

Ozpin narrowed his eyes at the obvious change of subject.

"Yes, actually. Now, getting back to the topic at hand, why-"

"And, those gears are made from Atlesian steel correct? The rug was crafted in Vacuo, while the porcelain we're currently drinking out of is Mistralian?"

Ozpin said nothing, keeping his narrowed gaze concentrated on the man wearing a blue coat in front of him.

"I'll take your silence as a 'yes,' then. So, here in this single room, we have products created from all four Kingdoms on Remnant. It's marvelous, isn't it? The fact that technology has progressed so far and so fast in recent years, allowing such a thing to happen."

The man paused his speech to take a drink from his cup.

"That is what I am pursuing, Headmaster. Progress. Advancement. Not just for us, but all of humanity. Oh, and faunuskind too. I'm planning on creating a research division within my company that will create technological marvels that rival Atlas's advancements. It will be the center of the next technological revolution."

Ozpin closed his eyes and listened to the gears spinning above him for a moment before opening them once more.

"So, you wish to use your Dust company as a means to fund this "technological revolution" as you so call it. That's quite a noble goal- but a goal is all it is at this stage. A dream. How can I take the risk of my position- which I have only recently acquired mind you- without some form of evidence to back up your claims? For all I know, you could be conning me into approving a company that will come back to bite me in the future."

The man set down his coffee and hummed.

"Yes, that is true. How can you risk your position without evidence? Well, let me present some."

The man flicked his wrist, and a Dust crystal appeared within his hands.

Ozpin tensed and prepared to grab his cane in case the man used it.

"Woah, Woah calm down. Sorry, about that- shouldn't have been trying to be so dramatic." The man chuckled sheepishly before sobering up.

"This here in my hand is a new type of Dust crystal I have discovered in the Wilds outside of Vale."

Ozpin, still ready to spring into action at a moment's notice, studied the crystal curiously. It certainly didn't _look _like any Dust crystal he had ever seen before- but that didn't mean it wasn't just a fake.

"This here is what I have dubbed a "Time Crystal." It either speeds up or slows down the reaction times of others. I haven't had the time to do extensive testing on the thing yet, but a close friend of mine who has studied it concludes that is the case."

Ozpin's eyes widened fractionally at the explanation.

_If that crystal is real, it's value would be immeasurable. _

"This would be the flagship product of Arc Dust once the refinement centers are up and running. Though, don't worry. I plan on keeping the supply in tight control due to the chance of such a thing getting in the wrong hands."

_Depending on how the Faunus are treated in the coming years, that wouldn't be a bad idea; especially if they decide to fight again. _

"Of course, this will only happen with your willing. So, how about a deal?"

Ozpin's eyebrows rose.

"In return for you graciously allowing my company to acquire that permit, I will provide Dust to you and your school for free."

Ozpin just _stared _at the man before him.

"You're joking."

"I'm afraid not, Headmaster. See, I understand how important the schools are to the stability of Vale. Without them, Vale would collapse- which is neither profitable for my business nor humanity's continued existence. Dust prices are at an all-time high, and I'm sure it's straining your budget as of now." The man paused as if waiting for Ozpin to refute what he said.

Ozpin continued to stare at the man.

"I take it by your continued silence; I'm correct then. So, I'm also sure you're trying to secure more funding to keep up with the costs of running the school since Dust is taking up so much of your budget."

_Well, he's not wrong there._

"That's where I come in. I'll give you as much Dust as I can afford to keep your school running. Heck, I'll extend this same offer to Signal once the company grows some more."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed.

_There must be some catch. He wouldn't be a good businessman if he didn't stipulate _something.

"Ah, my apologies, I forgot one tiny thing. I can only give you the basic types for free. The rarer ones like Gravity- and Time once it hits the market- will have to be purchased. I just don't have enough to supply all of Beacon _and_ my clients. I hope you understand," Jaune said.

_There's the catch, but it's not as bad as it could have been. Still, this is oddly convenient- an Arc I had no idea existed suddenly swoops in to save Beacon from its current financial troubles while all I have to do is exert some of my new found authority. Too convenient. Hmm, maybe it's time I embraced that Professor title I so rarely use- Pop Quiz time.  
_

"Mr. Arc, while I am flattered by your offer and deeply appreciative, I must know one thing. Why are you doing this? This 'technological revolution' as you call it, your company, the free Dust. I look at you and see a fighter- a warrior. Someone who should be fighting on the frontlines as a Defender of Humanity- not a businessman. For someone who screams 'Warrior' to come to me with a business proposition, especially one that is more beneficial for myself, seems awfully suspicious. So, before we go any farther, I need to know one thing- What do you gain from this?"

The man stiffened for just a second before relaxing and looking down at his lap. If Ozpin hadn't been paying attention, he wouldn't have noticed it.

_I knew it. He's hiding something. _

The man then flicked his wrist and caused the crystal to disappear in the same manner it first came- without a trace.

Ozpin watched curiously as the man collected his thoughts.

_Just how did he cause that crystal to disappear? It looked like a semblance, but I can't tell exactly.  
_

The man seemed to have found his words as he lifted his head to meet Ozpin's gaze. What he saw in those blue eyes caused Ozpin to go still.

"I didn't want to talk about this so early, but it seems I have no choice. I made a promise a long ago that I would protect this world with every fiber of my being. I did so at first as a Hunter, and with my friends, saved many lives. But, our luck ran out eventually. Now, I'm here and no longer able to pursue my first dream. This Dust has the potential to save an unprecedented amount of lives, and the company I build around it will make it a reality. It doesn't matter that I can no longer Hunt as I once did- I have a promise to keep. For my friends. For everything we sacrificed. Do you have a problem with that Headmaster?" The man said quietly, almost at a whisper.

Ozpin kept his eyes locked onto the blue ones in front of him.

_I see nothing that says he's lying. No hesitation, no second guessing. Just pure determination. For what though? I have no idea. _

Ozpin broke eye contact and sighed.

_Well, I've accepted riskier propositions before- and none of them with such a determined face such as this one. _

"Alright, Mr. Arc. One more question- you said you were a Huntsman before, yes? Are you perhaps related to a Jett Arc that is currently attending my academy?"

Jaune seemed caught off guard by the question.

"Jett Arc, you say? I'm not sure. My father lived in the Wilds, and I never knew my mother. It could be possible, but my father has been dead for years- can't find out much in that regard. Do we look alike?"

_How interesting. I wasn't aware of the Arc Family splitting off before. Maybe I should meet with Julius to verify his claims.  
_

"Somewhat. You both have the same hair and eye color, but your body structures are completely different. Jett is somewhat...scrawny. I understand his team is whipping him into shape, but it will be a long while until he's anywhere near your level," Ozpin said.

The tension in the room seemingly vanished as both men shared a chuckle.

"Alright, Mr. Arc. I'll contact the Council and have them approve your permit. We'll discuss the details of the agreement later. I trust your secretary will arrange another meeting?"

Jaune smirked and grabbed his cane before standing up.

"I cannot thank you enough, Headmaster. And yes, I'll get Jasmine to contact your office. Say, you should look into getting a secretary yourself. I can't imagine getting this far without my own." Jaune said.

"Hmm, perhaps once I get more settled in. I'll keep my eyes open, though. I'll see you soon, Mr. Arc." Ozpin said.

"Ha, please Headmaster- call me by my name. It'll make differentiating between myself and Jett easier." Jaune said.

Ozpin smiled.

"Alright then, Jaune- as long as you call me by mine as well. 'Headmaster' is my title, not my given name."

Jaune snorted before walking towards the elevator.

"Sure thing, Ozzy," Jaune said.

Ozpin frowned.

"That's not my name."

Jaune turned around so Ozpin could see the shit-eating grin on his face.

"I know. Catch you around Ozymadius." Jaune said before the elevator closed shut.

Ozpin sighed before rubbing his temples.

_Just what have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

Diam looked towards his target with disgust. The man was in his late forties, had a relatively muscular build and refused to stop following this one woman as she tried to navigate through the bustling crowds. She was somewhat familiar, but he didn't remember her name. Not like it was important right now.

The stalker stayed within eyesight of his target, yet not close enough for her to notice. Unfortunate, since the man seemed entirely out of his element and if it weren't for the obnoxiously large crowds, would have given himself away several times by now. To the woman's credit, she moved at a relatively quick pace and avoided the dark alleys and side streets like the plague. Smart move during this time of year.

Diam scowled as he lost his target momentarily in the crowd- the street lamps and plastic lanterns providing hardly any visible light during the new moon. People had to be able to see the fireworks after all.

_Focus, Krim, focus. Leave the analysis for the cops- though if I lose her, she nor the VPD will stand a chance. Damn Hunters.  
_

And Diam could tell he was a Hunter. If his bright green outfit or his steel katana strapped to his side didn't give it away, the sheer confidence in the way he moved did. Diam scowled again.

_I knew I shouldn't have left Cortan at home. I just have this shitty knife to protect myself and the girl with. Damn it._

Diam kept his eyes off his target, instead focusing on the people passing by him. People tended to 'sense' when they were being watched- a former superstition made real by the power of Aura and Semblances. Diam had refused to believe in it until it saved his unit from an ambush once. He stopped doubting superstitions after that.

Up ahead of the woman, the street became suddenly blocked off. A parade was being thrown for the Festival, and it _just happened _to cross their paths. Both the woman and the stalker stopped. The woman seemed hesitant to stay where she was, while the stalker seemed the same. Diam, however, felt relieved.

_Alright, since she can't go any farther and the stalker can't approach her in such a public space, I'll have time to-_

The woman suddenly moved to a nearby alleyway, and Diam felt himself nearly deflate at the sight. It seems wherever she was going was important enough to brave the dark alleys of Vale. How foolish.

_Means I'm going to have to get involved after all. Why can't I just have some peace and quiet even after retiring? _

Diam's actions didn't seem to match his thoughts, however, as he drew his knife from the holster hidden within his cargo shorts and prepared for the stalker to move. Predictably, he did. The stalker moved quickly to catch up to the woman who had nearly started running to the alley. Diam was not far behind.

The stalker moved into the alleyway and not ten seconds later; Diam poked his head around the corner. Better to watch and evaluate the situation rather than rushing in guns blazing- it worked well enough in action movies, but in real life it only got good people killed. Despite that, Diam nearly leaped at the man once he saw what was happening.

The woman was pressed up against one of the alley walls, one hand shakily clutching a necklace of some kind. The other was buried in her purse, hand racing as if she was searching for something. The stalker himself was leering at the woman and had a hand rested on the hilt of his katana in a casual stance. The way the woman kept glancing between her stalker and his katana meant she knew what he was after. She was so focused on the man in front of her; she didn't notice Diam as he moved to confront the stalker.

"Hey there, big guy. Mind keeping your hands off the pretty lady there?"

Both the woman and her stalker paused and glanced at Diam. The woman had hope in her teary eyes while the stalker merely scowled and turned to face him fully- a hand still present on the hilt of his katana. Something seemed off with the man though. The way he turned seemed sluggish, and the fact that he kept a lecherous light in his eyes disturbed him. There was something wrong with him. Other than the fact he was stalking someone, of course.

Diam nearly cursed a second later as he realized what it was. It was precisely the moment the stalker started talking.

" Whadya meeaan hands 'offer? I-I-I havn' don nutthing yet." the man said with a slur to his voice.

_Gods he's absolutely hammered. This just got so much harder to diffuse peacefully. _

"Well, even so, let her be on her way. It looks like she's got somewhere important to be," Diam looked to the woman who hopefully understood his message before turning back to the drunk in front of him. "And it looks like _you _have had too much to drink. So, why don't you do us a favor and let me walk you to the nearest hotel, and I'll pay for a room while you simmer down, eh?"

The drunk stalker paused and tilted his head. Diam felt some brief hope that the man would take his, admittedly, impulsive offer. Those hopes were crushed when the man shook his head and responded.

"Hmmm, naaaa. How 'bout insteeaaad, ya leeeave us be while we get dowwwn to busineeeeeesss."

The man turned his gaze back to the woman, who had shrunk herself against the wall as the conversation had progressed. The hopeful look in her eyes went back to terrified as the man moved to approach her again.

_Well, it seems negotiations have broken down. _

Diam looked down at his knife and came to a decision.

He rushed the drunkard and body-tackled him further down the alley. The drunk landed on his back with a hard _crunch_. He fumbled with the katana, trying to draw the blade besides being in such an awkward position. Diam shut that down quickly though.

He moved his knife under the man's throat.

"Hold still, or this goes straight in your neck."

The drunk paled as he watched the blade with wary eyes and went limp under Diam's grasp. Diam smirked

_The idiot can't even put up his Aura he's so drunk. I'm surprised he also realized I was threatening him.  
_

That train of thought quickly smacked Diam upside the head when the air around the man suddenly _pulsed_.

* * *

Diam felt his body hit stone as he was sent flying by the drunk. Somehow. He still hadn't figured out how as he started coughing up blood. He just chalked it up to the one thing that made Hunters such bullshit.

_Fucking Semblances. _

He groaned before looking back at the drunk. He was slowly starting to stand up. Thankfully, the woman was nowhere to be seen.

_Well, at least she made it out alright. _

Diam slowly pried himself off the wall he was currently stuck in and dropped unceremoniously to the ground. He glanced at the scroll secured to his waist and groaned again when it confirmed his fears.

_The bastard actually has a semblance strong enough to break through my Aura completely. And I didn't bring any boosters with me either. Shit.  
_

He slowly stood up, ignoring the pain he felt in his left arm as it dangled loosely by his side.

_Looks dislocated, if not broken. Thank Gods I'm ambidextrous. _

He took a shaky breath before focusing on his target.

_Alright, I can't let him do something like that again, or I'm toast. I need to take him down quickly.  
_

Diam glanced around the alley, but it was as barren as it was when he entered. Except for the necklace the woman was wearing from before, but he ignored it. She must have dropped it when she fled. He scowled.

_Great, so it looks like I've got just the knife. Alright, maybe if I-  
_

He saw something move out of the corner of his eye and braced himself, expecting the man to be charging. He wasn't. He had stood up but was looking around the area with a dazed expression, as if he was searching for something. Before Diam could take advantage of his opponent's confusion, the man suddenly crumpled.

Behind his former opponent, a man stood. Diam squinted, but couldn't see his features since he was silhouetted against the light coming in from the street. Before he could say anything, however, the man vanished. Diam's eyes widened.

_What the fu-_

His thoughts were cut off when something hard crashed into the side of his head, and he was sent flying. Again. This time, it seemed his assailant didn't want to cause too much damage, because he was sent further down into the alley instead of a nearby wall.

It still hurt like a motherfucker, though.

He landed and bounced a few times before he groaned again.

_Tap..._

_Tap..._

_Tap..._

Diam felt like he had been sent through a washing machine as his world kept spinning.

_Tap..._

_Tap..._

He inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to steady his breathing and keep his head from spinning so much. It worked, sort of.

_Tap…_

Diam looked upwards at the man who appeared in front of him, and his breath froze. A tall man wearing a blue coat that reached down to his knees was towering over him. A cane was in his right hand as his left hand combed through his golden hair. Blue eyes locked on Diam's red. He nearly fainted from fear when he saw the absolutely _murderous _expression on the man's face.

The man's words sent chills down Diam's spine as he tried to stay conscious under the pressure of the other man's _insane _Aura.

"**What the **_**fuck **_**did you do to Jasmine?" **

He fainted.

* * *

**I maybe should feel bad for ending this on a cliff-hanger, but this chapter has gone through so many revisions and re-writes I'm done with it. It's also the longest chapter I've posted for this story and my longest chapter in general. **

**Welcome back to Arc Dust everyone! This chapter was interesting to plan out and like I said above, has gone through many revisions and re-writes and I think I'm satisfied with it. (Finally) **

**This chapter introduces Diam as well as shows the meeting Jaune was freaking out about the last chapter. Man, I love writing outside perspectives to Jaune- it's so interesting how everyone sees him differently. Speaking of, hope you guys like Diam's entrance to the story- I'm hoping it shows a lot about his character that he doesn't trust the VPD (Vale Police Department) to deal with a stalker and tries to deal with it on his own. With mixed results, as you can see. **

**Also, Jaune showing up isn't a deus ex machina- well not really anyways. It'll be explained next chapter. **

Please Review, Favorite, and Follow if you enjoyed!

See ya next time!


	5. Everything

Jaune reached for another piece of paperwork when he felt his chest vibrate.

He froze.

That feeling...

His hand dashed towards his neck; his family symbol coated in a thin layer of silver was vibrating.

Jasmine...

He grabbed the necklace before tearing open a secret compartment on the back of it; there, a small chip appeared that was flashing with a red light.

Jaune's hands began shaking as he shoved the small chip into the bottom of his scroll- a holographic map suddenly popped up showing the city, with a flashing red dot appearing near the residential district.

Halfway across town.

Jaune dashed out of his office, snatching his cane and coat on the way.

He sent a quick text to Ozpin, asking him to send backup to the location on his scroll- even if they wouldn't make it in time. Better safe than sorry.

He shoved open the front door to the building and forced his Aura to concentrate on his brace. A series of mechanical whirls sounded out as gears spun and the brace activated.

Jaune flared his Aura and sprinted down the street, dodging several civilians as they passed by.

As Jaune ran, he poured his Aura into his ring and out came several objects. The first being a small golden ball around the size of a bean. Jaune didn't hesitate before he swallowed the object. Immediately, he felt that his muscles seemed to gain much more energy than usual like he had taken a dozen energy drinks all at once.

Jaune took the second object, a glove that had several fancy black designs etched onto the surface. The strange designs glowed faintly against the white cloth. He slipped the glove onto his right hand as he turned the corner.

Jaune dove to the left, just barely avoiding the couple that had been 'having fun' away from the crowds. Jaune heard the man begin to shout at him, but he ignored it.

Jas came first.

Jaune glanced at the scroll he had put away earlier- still not even close. He had to go faster.

Much faster.

Jaune growled as he pushed his Aura to the limit. Immediately, the sidewalk cracked beneath his boots, and he _moved. _

He ran as hard as he could, passing by countless civilians as they celebrated in the streets- ignoring their cries of alarm as he made his way towards the marker.

Jaune spotted a van blocking the sidewalk ahead- a food truck going by the greasy smell wafting over to him.

He merely jumped- his Aura boosting his legs so much he sailed straight over the truck with room to spare. Several bystanders stared at him with their mouths hanging open, but he moved on.

Jaune continued running and dodging for several minutes; he was gradually getting closer. As he rounded another corner, he skidded to a stop.

In front of him, the entire street, as well as the next several ones, were cordoned off by the VPD- the Vytal Parade was passing through. Several multi-colored floats that bordered on crimes against art with a multitude of mascots and celebrities passed by.

He looked at his scroll, and his eye twitched.

She was there, right across the street. No doubt, something horrible had happened, and he was here, staring at this shit-show of a celebration. He wanted to punch something.

Considering everything nearby would be obliterated if he did so, he compromised by thinking of all the things he would do to the person who hurt Jasmine once he got there.

Jaune stood there, eyeing both the VPD barricade and the street itself. He would no doubt be noticed if he attempted to cross without some distraction- his clothes were unique, but not _that _unique. His only real option was...

Jaune groaned.

He really _hated_ doing that.

Jaune ran to one of the buildings on his left. Making sure that no one was watching, he threw his cane straight up towards the roof. Jaune's eyes remained glued to the cane as it sailed up and over the edge of the building.

The handle of the cane flashed briefly as it was illuminated by the fireworks above- a silver rose.

Once it began to descend, Jaune used his Aura to activate the glove on his right hand. The dark symbols etched onto the glove's surface seemed to pulse for a brief moment.

The air around Jaune began to twist and compress- his muscles felt like jello, and his brace started to throb.

The screaming of the crowds, the bright fireworks lighting up the dark city, the smell of greasy food- all of it disappeared.

The golden pocket watch that sat in his breast pocket ticked once.

Then, it all came back. The noise of the countless living beings, the fireworks, and the smell of food- it all reappeared. Yet, the spot where Jaune once stood was empty.

* * *

Upon the rooftop, Jaune had his cane in one hand, while the other was preventing his stomach from ejecting his dinner.

His motion sickness had evolved since his youth- who knew bending reality to scale buildings like a superhero would cause motion sickness?

Jaune growled and cleared the sarcasm from his head. Now wasn't the time.

He moved towards the edge of the rooftop, overlooking the parade as it passed underneath him.

How little they truly knew, celebrating like this…

Jaune shook his head, clearing his thoughts before gauging the distance between the two streets. Since it was the Main street in the commercial district, it was much larger than a typical street- so much so Jaune doubted he could make the jump in one go. The building opposite of him was also much taller...

He sighed.

It looked like he was in for a pleasant visit to the closest trash can once he got to Jas.

He bent his knees, and at the same time, guiding his Aura to the bottom of his feet- he would need quite a bit of height to get this right.

He took a deep breath and let loose.

He soared into the air, the wind forcing his hair back as the city below him seemed to shrink. The city was beautiful- even though most of the lights were off so people could watch the fireworks- it still shone. He smiled. This is what he was fighting for.

As he looked towards Beacon, he felt a memory stir.

He saw the city during the day- he was staring at the clouds, trying to hold his lunch in as he rode on the massive airship. He wasn't very successful- probably even made things worse. He felt his stomach gurgle, and he bolted towards a trash can. As he ran, he passed by two women. Well, one woman and one girl. The woman had a mane of blonde hair the extended down to her waist and the girl…

Jaune shook himself from the memory- he was doing that a lot lately. He really needed more sleep- or caffeine.

Jaune waited another moment before gripping his cane tightly and throwing it towards the building on the other side. He used some Aura when he threw it, causing it to shoot straight like an arrow.

As Jaune reached the crescendo in his arc, the cane embedded itself into the brick wall across the street.

Jaune groaned again as he activated his glove.

The world seemed to fade away once more.

* * *

Jaune rolled as he landed on the sidewalk, hidden by the shadow of the building.

Jaune glanced at his scroll before moving forwards- she was still in the same spot as last time.

Jaune forced down his dread as he made his way forward. The crowds were much thicker on this side, preventing him from moving as fast as he could. The smell of sweat and humans packed together much closer than they should be didn't help with his concentration.

As he was making his way through the crowds, he felt something from up ahead. It was very faint- if he didn't have his Aura enhancing his senses he would have missed the tremor, but he still felt it.

Someone had just hit something very hard, very close to the marker.

Jaune started shoving his way through the crowd, ignoring their cries and protests- they didn't matter. Not while she was in danger.

Jaune continued shoving his way through the crowd until he saw it.

The alley where the marker was.

Where Jasmine was.

Where his only friend was.

Jaune quickly entered the alley and froze.

Directly in front of him, a tall man dressed in green was standing, looking slightly dazed. Opposite of him, another man was half-buried in the wall. One of his arms was dislocated, and he was bleeding profusely. It looked like he would pass out any second.

But, he didn't care.

Sitting in a pool of bright-red liquid, a silver necklace reflected the light coming from the street. The necklace held a pendant which was diamond shaped, resembling a dust crystal in its proportions. Blotches of red were covering the surface of the pendant. It took Jaune a second to realize what that red was-

Blood.

**Ba-Bump**

Jaune stared at the pool of blood. There was so much of it.

**Ba-Bump**

Jaune continued to stare- the color captivated him. It seemed so familiar…

**Ba-Bump**

It reminded him of spring for some reason- of flowers…

**Ba-Bump**

Which was strange- blood and flowers didn't usually go together…

**BA-BUMP**

There was only one color that would go with it...

**BA-BUMP **

Wide, innocent silver eyes stared into his own, while a bright smile blinded him.

**BA-BUMP**

...Red...

**BA-BUMP**

...Red like roses….

The two men standing in the alley, the bustling noise of the streets, the light from the lanterns hung in celebration- it all seemed to fade away.

Jaune didn't care; all he could do was stare at that silver necklace as it drowned. Mocking him, taunting him, telling him he couldn't do it.

He could never have saved her.

How could he, when he couldn't save his friends when he was at his best?

His vision swam, and suddenly, he was sitting in front of a broken castle. The sky was dark, and the land was barren- almost as if the apocalypse had happened when he wasn't looking. They were all there, his friends, his companions- except one. She had died so many years ago; it was hard to remember what she looked like at times. He had been so young…

So weak…

Jaune stood up and glanced at the strike team- they were all ready. They had been waiting for this day since the Fall. They were ready to finally end it all- end the suffering and pain.

No matter what it took.

Jaune grabbed his oldest friend and unsheathed her brilliant white blade while bracing her shield counterpart on his forearm. He was ready. Ready to end this war.

Ready to avenge her.

He signaled, and they moved out like they had practiced thousands of times- the only thing different being...

Only two would come back this time.

* * *

Jasmine groaned. Her head felt like it wanted to break out of her skull and yell at whoever did this to her. She was inclined to agree with it.

She felt something warm running from the base of her skull- ah, that was blood. She shook her head slightly. It seemed she had lost quite a bit, given the fact her hair seemed to be sticking together in clumps. No doubt her usually immaculate pale-yellow hair had been ruined.

She opened her eyes, and only splotches of color greeted her.

Great. It was just like when she was forced to wear glasses as a kid- except this time it was her life on the line and not her social status.

She moved her arms- nothing felt broken. Next, her legs-

Jasmine tried to scream, but only wet gurgling came out. Something was seriously wrong with her throat.

She slowly turned her head to the side and nearly threw up. Her left leg had twisted to an unnatural degree- she couldn't even begin to comprehend how long it would take to heal.

If it would at all.

Jasmine stopped that thought before she could start panicking. Now wasn't the time.

The last thing she remembered was that man- her savior- tackling that _beast _who had almost...assaulted her. Then, she was...launched? She couldn't remember exactly what happened- the only sure thing she knew was that she hit something. Hard.

She slowly moved her arms and, barely, managed to push herself up into something that vaguely resembled a sitting position. Her vision was still splotchy, but she could vaguely make out she had been thrown to the very end of the alley- the wall that blocked her escape route had a rather human-sized dent in it but was still standing.

If only…

A sudden scream of pain interrupted her thoughts. An object roughly human-sized came flying in her direction- oh, wait. That _was _a human. Or a body, at least.

The body landed with a dull smack a good twenty feet from her- a distance as far as the sky was to the ground in her current state. A series of taps began to sound out- she had to strain herself to hear over the groaning the soon-to-be corpse was making.

If only her damn vision weren't so-

Her mind suddenly stalled. She recognized that tapping noise.

A silhouette appeared in front of the body. Jasmine knew it well. She smiled- no doubt it would have looked unnatural to anyone else, but she didn't care.

Jaune was here.

He was right there, in front of her. No doubt wearing his ever-present smile, while he talked in a calm tone-

"**What the **_**fuck **_**did you do to her?**"

Her mind went blank as she heard him..._growl. _

Jaune didn't growl. He didn't scream; he didn't yell- he was always calm and collected. He did lose himself to frustration a few times, but this was different.

It was almost like he was a different person.

She tried to call out to him, tried to get his attention- all that came out was a _croak_.

The silhouette that was Jaune moved closer to the man lying on the pavement, and his figure started to become more apparent. He didn't look in her direction, though. It seemed he was so focused on his target that he didn't notice her sitting in the shadows.

Jasmine focused on his face, trying to find any hint of the previous kindness and aloofness that was usually present- there was none. She moved to his eyes, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat.

The kind, sky blue eyes that always held a hint of mirth within - like he was privy to some secret joke - was gone. In their place, the eyes of a killer emerged. They were squinted in rage, almost to slits. The sky-blue color was replaced with a shade of blue that seemed only one step away from black. When Jasmine looked at those eyes, she felt as if she were looking at an Apex predator- something like the Grimm, but ten times worse.

Jasmine couldn't even begin to imagine how someone could gain a pair of eyes so monstrous.

The man that was once Jaune began to bend down, reaching for the man who he had thrown her way. The man had passed out at this point, and Jasmine finally recognized who he was.

He was her savior.

* * *

Jaune looked murder at the man before him.

Jasmine was gone.

They were all gone.

_She _was gone.

His hopes and dreams- _their _hopes and dreams. All ashes now.

Because of the man before him.

Oh, he was sure the other man he had knocked out had some hand in this, but the man before him looked like he could handle much less pain than the other one — a quality he needed to find out what happened.

What they did to her.

Jaune went to pick up the man when he heard a strange sound.

It was a croaking noise, sounding very weak. He glanced at the man's face.

He looked out cold, yet he still managed to sound so weak and sympathetic.

Jaune snarled.

This man had the balls to sound pathetic when he attacked a civilian woman with absolutely no combat training?

He would enjoy this.

Just as he picked the man up and flung him around his shoulder, he heard it again.

That croaking noise.

Jaune smacked the man, and he froze.

The man made a noticeably different noise. It was a deep groan, something that would sound more reasonable coming from him than a croak. Jaune's eyes widened.

If the croaking noise wasn't coming from him, then…?

Jaune boosted his senses with Aura and turned.

What he saw froze him.

Instinctively, he knew it wasn't _her. _

That was just blood dyeing her hair, making it a dark brown - bordering on black.

It was just a trick of the light causing her yellow eyes to change colors.

It was just a coincidence she had that same relieved smile _she _did.

It was just his imagination that she looked exactly like…

"...Ruby…"

The way her hoped-filled eyes locked onto his own, the way her smile brightened as she realized he noticed her, the way-

Suddenly, Jaune felt his energy drain away- he had run out of time. He dropped the man hanging from his shoulder as he fell to the ground. His vision slowly went black, and he felt his memories stir. He didn't try to stop it; he didn't have the energy to. Besides, in some cruel, twisted fashion-

-it was the only way he could deal with it all.

* * *

Jaune was standing in front of a grave. Snow fell around him as he stood still, not caring that the elements wished to bury him.

He honestly thought about letting them. The alternative was almost worse.

To his right, a teenager stood. He was dressed in clothes that screamed he was young- though his demeanor said he was anything but.

"It's time, Jaune."

Jaune's eyes briefly flickered over to the teen, before resting back onto the grave.

The teen waited a few moments before sighing in what sounded like defeat.

"Five minutes. We have an appointment to keep. It wouldn't do to keep Polendina waiting for long- you know how antsy he gets when he has new toys to play with." The teen chuckled for a moment before cutting himself off when Jaune gave no reaction.

The teen sighed again and moved away from the grave after giving a small bow.

It was the least he could do for them.

The least any of them could do.

"_Hey, Jaune?"_

Jaune moved forward, his oldest companion jingling at his waist. She had taken a lot of damage during the fight- almost to the point where it would be better to retire her altogether.

Jaune stopped when he was a pace away from the grave.

"_What is it, Ruby?"_

It was simple- made of white granite that wanted to blend in with the snow, almost as if it didn't want to be noticed by others. Not that anyone would.

It was a rather long walk.

"_Do you fear death?"_

The marker had a few words written in easy-to-read, yet elegant text.

_Here Lies Those Who Gave Everything, To Save Everything. _

No names, no grandiose descriptions, dates or anything like that. It's what they all agreed on beforehand.

What they all wanted.

"_Yes."_

He grasped the sword that hung by his waist. It had been with him longer than anyone else- it was a symbol to the start of his journey. To the start of his life of adventure and action- the life of a Hunter.

"_Well, I don't. Everything ends eventually, so why should I be scared of it?"_

Jaune's hand twitched.

Oh, how naive he had been. To believe the world worked like the stories his parents fed him, not thinking of how it would inspire him down this path.

"_You have more courage than I do, Ruby. I'm terrified of the unknown- even if Ozpin's memories imply there is a Heaven, there's the small chance that it doesn't exist, it's shut down, or any number of things that could go wrong."_

His memories stirred - He stared down at a pair of silver eyes as they shied away from his awkward own- his hand hanging limply near her face as she reached out to grab it and exit the crater near the cliffs...

"_Hmm, Nah. I just as terrified as you are with most things- it's just death that I'm not afraid of. There's just this feeling I have, telling me to believe- that we'll all see each other again up there. Not that I want that to happen anytime soon, of course. Heh."_

He sighed.

...Maybe naivety wasn't that bad after all.

He drew his once proud and noble blade- now a mere husk of its former self. The ever-present shine was gone, a dull look replacing its old glory. The first half of the blade was gone- food for a particularly tough Winged Beringel that guarded the inner chambers of the castle.

"_Never change, Ruby. Never change."_

Jaune stabbed his old companion into the ground into the side of the grave. He took some ice dust from his pocket and used it to freeze the sword in place. In this climate, it would last a very long time.

Jaune took one more look at their resting place before turning around. As he did, however, he felt a hand on his back as it pushed him forwards. He quickly spun and stared at_ her._

Silver eyes stared into his own with an intensity he thought he'd never see again. After a moment-

She smiled.

When Jaune blinked, she was gone- the only thing marking her presence was the smell of spring on the harsh winter breeze.

Jaune felt something stir within him- something he had thought died with them.

Jaune turned around and met up with the teenager. Without a word spoken between them, they began their long and arduous walk back to Atlas. They moved at a relatively quick pace despite the harsh climate; after all-

They had work to do.

But, as they left the clearing, Jaune failed to notice the speck of red within the storm. Where she last stood, a single rose bloomed in the cold, desolate wastes of winter.

* * *

**Hello everyone, hope you guys enjoyed this new chapter. I tried something different with my writing style- I got rid of the first person internal thoughts that I had used previously in favor of what you see now. Let me know what you guys think; I'm hoping this new style injects more personality into the characters than before. **

**Moving on, I dropped a few hints on some future products Jaune will be using and I'm excited to bring those elements into the story Soon^TM. Jaune himself has finally started to reveal more of his character and backstory- something this whole mini-arc has been leading up to and one of the main purposes of it- besides introducing Diam, of course. Speaking of, no Diam is not a bad guy- merely a tad overconfident in being able to deal with any situation, which gets him into trouble as seen with the last chapter. **

**Speaking of, Jaune _will _make it up to Diam once he learns of the true nature of the situation next chapter. **

**Anyways, that's enough from me. Please, as always-**

**Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed! **

**See ya next time!**


	6. The Offer

Diam opened his eyes and groaned as he recognized where he awoke- a hospital room. He was in a hospital. Perfect. Diam wanted to punch something, but he really didn't feel like staying any longer than he had to. He shook his head.

He was so screwed.

_The boss is gonna kill me. How long have I been out? How many days have I missed?_

Diam's gaze roamed the sparse room before his eyes landed on a calendar near the doorway. He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

_Only been out a day. Thank the Gods. I don't think the landlady would be happy if I showed up with a pink slip and no lien._

He chuckled to himself and took another look around the room he was in. It was white. The floor, the ceiling, the walls- everything was a sickly white. Now, Diam didn't exactly hate the color, but since he had seen it in hospitals and doctor's offices the most, it was very low on his list of favorites.

To his immediate left, an EKG machine beeped out a steady rhythm now that he was conscious. Diam rolled his eyes and disconnected the device. He had a broken leg, not a stroke. To his right, a drip-feed connected to his arm- Diam removed that as well. He understood if he wasn't conscious, it was necessary, but it wasn't like his broken leg prevented him from drinking water.

"Mr...Krim."

Diam froze, his hand still holding the drip-feed as his eyes spotted a figure silhouetted in the doorway. A man, tall yet skinny wearing a white, button-up shirt, walked into the room. He had black eyes and bright red hair. His posture was relaxed, yet weary- likely years of dealing with unruly or non-compliant patients. Diam forced his stance into a comfortable position; the man was most likely a nurse and, therefore, not a threat.

_I most definitely have done nothing wrong, either. No matter what the nurse implies._

The nurse's brow twitched slightly as his gaze slid past the tube in Diam's hand and met his eyes. "My apologies for startling you, but you seemed to be lost in your own little world. I'm your nurse for the duration of your stay- how are you feeling? Any pain in your limbs or head? You had a rather nasty concussion when you were wheeled in here." The nurse said that the infuriatingly-friendly tone all hospital staff seemed to have.

Diam grunted. "It feels like I've gone a few rounds with a Grimm in a headbutting match, but other than that, I'm just peachy." He gestured toward his leg which was suspended from the ceiling in a cast. "That, on the other hand, lost to the Grimm kicking match."

The nurse did that fake-laugh thing that always infuriated Diam and smiled. "Well, I'll have the doctor recommend some painkillers once I manage to reach him. He seems to have disappeared, which is quite unusual for him. Once I track him down, I'll send him your way!"

Diam smiled and thanked the nurse as he left. He leaned back to stare at the tiles above his head. He needed to go. He had done his good deed and paid the price for it.

His boss would be furious at him- he was probably lucky if he even still had a job.

Diam sighed and looked to his left- the City of Vale shining brilliantly in the early morning through his room's window. His home. The place he had fought and sacrificed for. The place he nearly died for over and over again. What his friends died for. Screaming in pain, fighting a war led by a racist, incompetent general who had no idea what it was like to feel pain-

Diam's fist clenched, and he took a long, deep breath. He needed to leave. The hospital was bringing things to the forefront of his mind he'd rather be left forgotten.

Someone coughed, and Diam's eyes snapped to the figure standing in the doorway. He cursed in his head. He needed to stop spacing out and make sure-

His thoughts screeched to a halt. A man stood in his doorway. Someone that shouldn't have been there. After all, why would someone visit the man they almost murdered without a second thought?

"My apologies for startling you, Mr. Krim, but we need to have a chat." The man who wore a long navy coat said. "Now, before you say anything, yes, I'm aware I shouldn't be here, but the hospital staff said you weren't accepting visitors, and I very much need to speak with you." The man chuckled. Diam didn't share his enthusiasm.

The man sighed and moved further into the room, shutting the door with a firm click as he did. His cane clacked against the polished white tile that composed the floor as he made his way to a nearby seat. With a slight groan, the man sat, directly facing Diam's bed.

"I bet you're wondering why I am here, eh? It's not like our first encounter left a good impression of one another, no?" His assaulter said. "Though, I admit that is entirely my fault. I ignored the number one rule a Hunter should do before entering a situation- know your enemy. It was a grievous error, and part of the reason I am here is to try and rectify that if you should let me?"

An olive branch, then. Diam closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He shouldn't trust this man. He had quite literally beat him black and blue for no reason at all. Yet, Diam could tell there was something more to the man before him. He couldn't place exactly what it was; it was more of an instinct than anything. And, his instincts had saved him enough times in the past that Diam knew to trust them.

"Fine. But, I am expecting more than a simple apology." Diam said.

The man smiled. "Of course. But first, how is your leg doing? Any lasting damage from the fight with that rogue Hunter?"

Diam shrugged. "Broken. Other than that, the nurse said I had a mild concussion and nothing more. Should be released in a few weeks after I get some rest." Diam met the man's piercing blue eyes. "And what happened to the woman I tried to save? Did she make it?"

The man smiled, filled with affection. "She has made a full recovery. Only had a minor concussion and is already back on her feet." He paused and looked at Diam's face as if he was searching for something. After a moment, he nodded, as if he had seemingly found whatever it was he had been looking for. "She is my secretary. And a wonderful friend."

Diam blinked. "Oh."

"Oh, indeed. That's why I came in such a hurry. Jas had activated the distress beacon I had given to her." The man fiddled with the top of his cane. "That is why I was so desperate. I take great care of my friends, and even though I've only known her for a little while- she is irreplaceable both in my operations and my life as a whole."

Diam raised an eyebrow. That sounded much more intimate than just friendship.

"No, it's not like that." The man said, reading the expression of doubt Diam wore. "While she is irreplaceable, she is just only a friend. I've already made that clear to her. Wouldn't want to have any awkward misunderstandings, no?" The ever-present smile had turned a little strained, so Diam dropped it.

"Still, it is good to hear she recovered. I'm glad I was able to be of use." Diam said.

The man stayed silent for a moment, making eye contact with Diam the entire time. The clock, whose noise had been drowned out by their conversation, and most definitely not Diam's nerves, made its presence known once more.

"I've looked into your current work, Mr. Krim. Manual labor seems beneath someone of your talents. Fighting off a fully trained Huntsman, even if they were inebriated, is no easy task."

Diam raised an eyebrow. Where the man was going with this, he had no idea.

"You have extensive military training, earning more medals and merits than most men could even dream of. The squad led by yourself was pivotal in several critical battles during the War and even managed to turn the tide more than once. So, tell me something. What is a man with such incredible feats under his belt doing working for a seedy construction company on the outskirts of Vale?"

The question triggered something in his mind and a wave of fury washed over him.

"Because no one gives a damn about me." Diam spat. "I have no practical work experience. I'm a soldier. I follow orders and kill people. Now, I can't do either of those things because the Council doesn't care about us vets- we lost, and they abandoned us for it. What else is there for me to do? Become a bouncer in some seedy bar? No, thanks. I would rather do some honest work than to stoop so low as to become a glorified thug. Besides, it's not too bad with my Aura, even if it's on the weaker side."

Diam had no idea what this man thought an apology was, but it seemed someone had misinformed him. All this was doing was riling him up even more than earlier. Honestly, it felt more like an interrogation or a-

He wanted to smack himself. He was a moron — almost more than the one sitting in front of him.

"Are you for real? Is your twisted form of an apology offering me a job?" Diam asked, disbelief coloring his voice. "Even though I have absolutely no reason to work for you when you assaulted me. Why would I ever trust a boss like you who goes around hurting people trying to help others?"

The accusation made the man wince, but to Diam, it was a victory. He knew he shouldn't have trusted this man. Even though his gut said otherwise, he should have slammed the door in his face, metaphorically, of course.

"It was a mistake, as I already pointed out. I didn't bother checking the situation before I lept in- the only ones who should have a chance of doing that are trainee huntsmen with no experience. I assaulted you and caused a great deal of harm when a more delicate hand was needed." The man bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

Diam felt his temper start to drop slowly-

"But, I still feel that with your incredible skill set and practical combat experience, we can-"

Diam slammed his fist into the side rail of the hospital bed.

"Enough. Gods Damn it, enough! You just don't know when to stop talking, do you?"

The man was silent.

"Get out. I don't want your stupid job. You're trying to butter me up and then make me sign some stupid contract that will make sure I won't sue you. Do you think I'm dumb? You're not the first suit to try and talk his way into my good graces, and you won't be the last. Oh, and before you leave, find someone and ask them what a real apology sounds like- you sure as shit don't know."

The man closed his eyes. "I understand. I was merely offering you the position as head of the Security Division of my company. But, I understand your reluctance. Before I leave, let me do one thing for you. To make up for my rudeness."

Diam opened his mouth to tell him to shut it, but before he could even make a noise, the man was at his side. Diam tried to pull back, but the man snatched his arm before he could move. Diam started to struggle, but it was a futile effort. The man's grip was like steel and Diam couldn't break free-

A warm, tingling sensation flowed into his arm from the man. The warm feeling traveled through his whole body and concentrated on his broken leg. A lance of pain shot through him, but it lasted only a second before being replaced by a dull ache. After a few more seconds, the warm feeling had left, leaving Diam feeling distinctly cold.

The man let go of his arm and, without another word, began to leave.

Diam had no idea what just happened.

_Was that Aura? His semblance? Whatever it was, I've never felt anything like it._

He moved his leg, and instead of the tell-tale feeling of a broken bone, the only thing he felt was a dull ache. Diam wanted to shout with joy. He could leave. He wouldn't have to stay in this dead, sterile place and wrack up a debt he could never repay. Before he could say anything, however, the clicking of the cane on the floor brought him back to reality.

He had rejected this man's generosity- a chance at a new life working for one of the latest up and coming big shots in Vale. Yet, it wasn't like Diam was wrong in rejecting him either- that kind of personality was dangerous for someone in such a volatile position.

Diam bit his lip. He had no idea what to think- on the one hand; this incredible act could very well be a trap to lure Diam back into the man's good graces. On the other hand, the man fixed his broken leg in five seconds. That kind of semblance would cause the Academies to fight over him like rabid dogs. Yet, here he was, quietly starting a company in Vale. And he was looking at him. Of all the people he could find, he chose him.

_Besides, 'Head of Security' would likely have a decent paycheck, no?_

Diam sighed and called out to Jaune. "Wait."

Jaune paused at the doorway- his cane struck the tile and caused a ringing noise to echo around the room. He slowly turned his head to look back at him.

"No contracts, verbal or in writing. If I feel like you're leading me on or I disagree with the direction you are taking the company, I will walk away. We'll discuss payment and benefits later, which I will get in writing and have a lawyer look over. Take it or leave it."

The clock's minute hand slowly ticked on; it's march stopping for no one. Yet, all the same, the world seemed to be at a standstill.

Jaune smiled. "You're hired."

Diam didn't smile, but he felt something settle in his chest all the same. It was something he hadn't felt in quite a long time.

Satisfaction.

* * *

He blinked as he read the message in his head. He reread it to make sure it wasn't some terrible prank. But, no, it was real. After a moment, his body slumped into the cold, metal chair that had been practically his home for the past few years.

He slammed his fist against the cold metal desk that held his computer and snarled. His colleagues had warned him of the purges, but to be dismissed in such a manner…

He cooled his flaring temper with a sigh. It wasn't proper to stoop to their level, not when they had seen him as unworthy of their attention. No review, no meeting, no indication whatsoever. Just simple notice of dismissal- stating the primary reason as 'A lack of significant progress with his research.'

Anger coursed through him once more.

_As if those blithering fools understood the complexities and the depths of my research, how important it was to Atlas and Remnant at large…_

He clenched his fist and unclenched it. Now was not the time to wallow in fury. He had to move quickly before they locked him out of the systems- he needed copies of his research before security came knocking. Before that, though…

The doctor opened one of the many files scattered onto his workstation. He had made some minor plans for this, of course, he just never expected them to strike so hard and fast. It seemed their new CEO was less incompetent than he calculated initially.

Regardless, he flipped through the folder until he arrived at the page he needed. He smirked, his mustache tilting slightly as he did so. This looked perfect for his needs, a relatively unknown with a slight potential that would be so far down on the bigwigs' priority list they might not see it for years unless he gave them some charitable...direction.

He reached for his terminal, preparing to call in one last favor from an old acquaintance - he was rather high up the food chain, as it happened, but it looks like even his hands had been tied with regards to his job. How useless. He had cultivated that relationship over the years, and when it came time to harvest what he sowed, it had dried up in his hands. Regardless, he sent the message and awaited a rapid and no doubt annoyingly apologetic response.

He looked down at the paper once more.

"Arc Dust. How quaint." Arthur Watts said, a grin stretching across his face.

* * *

**Surprise! I'm not dead! Welcome back folks, it's been quite a while. My life has been crazy the last few months and my inspiration for writing has dropped with it. It's been like pulling teeth to get this thing out so I'm glad to be done with it. Hopefully, I haven't completely butchered your sense of disbelief in regards to Diam's acceptance- I thought I put several good reasons as to why he should/would accept the offer if in his situation. Anyways, I hope yall are enjoying the holidays as much as I am! **

**Review, Favorite and Follow if you enjoyed!**

**See ya next time!**


End file.
